Admissions into neonatal intensive care units have increased among live births across the United States with the national average increasing by 13% from 2016 to 2023.

Neonatal intensive care units were first established in the United States in 1960 as specialized medical facilities that provide intensive care for newborns, particularly those born preterm or with medical complications.

According to data released in 2025 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the percentage of infants admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit in the United States rose from 8.7% in 2016 to 9.8% in 2023.

In Louisiana, NICU admissions from live births increased from 9.3% in 2016 to 11.2% in 2023 — that's a 20% increase, CDC data said.

Compared to other states, Louisiana's admissi

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